National HML Declaration

Project scope

To develop a single national Higher Mass Limits (HML) declaration to authorise the operation of HML vehicles. The national HML declaration aims to replace transitional arrangements for HML operations in several states and to enact the standard conditions for HML as per the Heavy Vehicle (Mass, Dimension and Loading) National Regulation (MDL Regulation).

Current notices

Issues paper

As HML provisions are defined within the MDL Regulation, the purpose of the national HML declaration will be to apply those provisions consistently across all jurisdictions.

The NHVR has also conducted an analysis of these existing state and territory notices/declarations and produced a project scope statement and comparative analysis for the development of the new national declaration. These documents have provided the basis for identifying key issues to be addressed in developing a new HML declaration. The following paper details key issues regarding inconsistencies between the current state and territory declarations and provides the NHVR’s preliminary policy positions to create a harmonised national declaration.

Draft key positions

Clearly defined positions have been developed for all key issues underlying the development of a new national HML declaration. These positions are summarised as follows:

Use the provisions from Schedule 5 of the MDL Regulation. Implement HML by axle group rather than heavy vehicle combination type.

Mass limit allowances for axle groups consistent with the limits set out in the MDL Regulation.

Implementation of a HML layered network similar to Qld, where the HML network is layered on top of vehicle type network to determine access. Restricted vehicles will be conditioned in the network map rather than the notice.

NHVAS mass management accreditation required for tri-axle groups in line with the MDL Regulation.

Road Friendly Suspension (RFS) required in line with the MDL Regulation.

Carriage of the HML declaration in either an electronic or physical format will no longer required.